Is Fashion A Reflection of a Devaluation of the Feminine?
Call me crazy, but I have a theory. Here me out:
I love feminine fashion. My closet is comprised almost entirely of 1950’s-style high-waisted flowing skirts, turtleneck dresses and blouses, and swirling gauchos. I own, maybe three pairs of jeans that I wear occasionally and I despise tee shirts. And I have had an extremely difficult time this season finding clothes! At the major women’s retailers that I especially like–Gap, Express, New York and Company–all of the clothes in stock seem to be shapeless smocks and dresses, and baggy shirts and sweaters; there is also a plethora of loose, rather masculine trousers on the racks. And as usual, it isn’t hard at all to find belt-length skirts and super-sheer shirts: fashions that I don’t think look good on even the skinniest women, because they weren’t designed with women’s bodies in mind!
At the same time, it has been a bad season for women. The media scrutiny that Hillary Clinton has endured in her campaign—whether it’s Rush Limbaugh formally questioning whether America is ready for an “ugly woman president” or more casual water cooler snark about Senator Clinton’s (admittedly awful) Super Tuesday banana pantsuit—showed that even the most powerful women aren’t immune from having their bodies publicly scrutinized. In March, Eliot Spitzer showed us what a woman’s worth really is: $4,300 an hour, to be exact. While to some that sounds steep, what the former governor’s scandalous exploits (and the low-brow media circus that ensued, revealing his prostitute’s participation in Girls Gone Wild videos) relayed to the populace is that women’s bodies are a product for public consumption. McCain picked a sexy librarian as his running mate, who has also endured a great deal of sexism from the media. Sarah Palin, however, isn’t exactly someone who values femininity: despite her rapid reproducing (an inherent statement of femininity), she doesn’t seem to be a huge fan of women’s liberation (something that I personally think is inherent to femininity! Women need to know their power to be so enchanting, I think).
So, are the unflattering, rather masculine fashions for women this season a reflection of the sexism and misogyny in media, society, and politics? When we value women’s bodies, we value women, and I don’t think the slouchy sweaters and sack dresses on sale at the Gap do anything to laud the beauty of the female form. I think we are seeing a trend very similar to what happened in the 80’s: there was a huge backlash against feminism and women’s rights (especially with President Reagan in office), and as such, the ideal physique for women became an extremely thin look, that helped Twiggy and a wild fitness craze define the decade.
Personally, I really believe that the masculine and unflattering fashions for women this season is a reflection of the fact that our society really doesn’t value the feminine right now… so I think I’ll keep wearing last season’s clothes until we have clothes on the racks that more thoroughly flatter women, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for similar improvements for women in society and politics, too.
Dollface | September 26th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I don’t agree with you. Though there have been many “masculine” trends in fashion lately (from clunky black boots to over-sized cardigans), there are many feminine trends right now (lace being one example).
However, I most disagree with your statement that Sarah Palin (for example) isn’t feminine because she is not a supporter of the women’s liberation movement & its causes.
You say “she doesn’t seem to be a huge fan of women’s liberation (something that I personally think is inherent to femininity! Women need to know their power to be so enchanting, I think).”
Now, I’m the same age as you, but I’ve read excerpts of Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique. One of her main points is that women in the 50’s and 60’s were told that to be “feminine” they had to put their husband, children, and home first. The whole notion of femininity has rejected women’s independence for many years before Second Wave feminism. While it is more common for women to “know their power” these days, that doesn’t mean that feminism is feminine. In fact, feminism is about women being able to take on the “masculine roles” of entering the work force and choosing to have a career over family (or balancing both).
Finally, I find your argument a little disjointed. You mention that women are seen as sexual objects, but then say that having shapeless, unfeminine clothing is sexist. Perhaps having shapeless clothing (thus de-emphasizing women’s bodies) is liberating in a sense for women. You don’t have to walk down the street wearing tight clothing to be seen as feminine anymore. I think that in a culture where bikinis and revealing clothing is everywhere, the current trends in fashion are a refreshing change.
Your mistake, in this article, is to say that being “feminine” is good for all women, when in reality, we should be able to choose to look however we want…without worrying what society views as “feminine”.
Frankie | September 26th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
But Twiggy defined the 1960s, not the 80s!
I actually have quite a different theory about the 80s. It seems to me that during the 80s, female beauty became less important in popular culture. If you watch movies from that decade, you might notice that all the big female stars were surprisingly homely — Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Carrie Fisher in “Star Wars,” etc. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE these women, but compare them to the skinny-pickle A-list bombshells of today: Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz, Charlize Theron. It wasn’t just the A-list, though: even smaller female roles, like the love interest in “Robocop,” were played by unsexy women in modest outfits. It was as though the women’s movement, for a brief few years, managed to change the culture paradigm so that women were appreciated for more than their looks.
And I have quite a different interpretation of the exercise craze of the 80s. I think it was a positive thing, a physical manifestation of female empowerment. Women were building up their muscles to take on the workplace! The ultimate examples of this are Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in the “Terminator” movies, and Sigourney Weaver in the “Alien” series. They are both so freaking hot, muscular, aggressive, and scarily powerful, but also as maternal and feminine as can be. They are the perfect female icons of the 80s. When was the last time you saw a heroine like that in a Hollywood blockbuster?
lizfunk | September 26th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Ooh! I thought that Twiggy was the 80s! Totally my bad!
Definitely appreciate your ideas–tres interessante.
erintothemax | September 26th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
What’s feminine has always been devalued in society. Either we are considered too “feminine” and unfit for other pursuits by society, or we are “not feminine enough” and therefore not real women or humans.
Personally, I don’t find too much correlation between what fashion happens to look like at a given moment and women’s status in society - at least in our lifetimes. Rather I believe the rapid twists and turns in fashion, be they fluttery and “girly” or boxy and “boyish,” operate exclusively to keep women down. When mainstream culture encourages us to be this concerned about our appearance at such a fast clip, it is so that we waste time, money and thought that could be used elsewhere.
Frankie | September 28th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Erin, I see your point, but I disagree that fashion trends “operate exclusively to keep women down.” This would be the case if fashion were controlled by a distinct group of powerful people, but it’s not: like art, fashion is a reflection of its time, and its “rapid twists and turns” happen organically as society changes. I can think of plenty of fashion trends that reflected increased female empowerment.
For example, in the late 1800s/early 1900s, the oppressive hoop-skirt-and-corset look of the Victorian era was replaced by a more athletic look for the Progressive era. As women gained more rights, they began to wear bloomers and loose skirts that allowed them to play sports and ride bicycles.
And then look what happened to women’s fashion in the 1920s, once women had finally received the right to vote. Coco Chanel came out and designed a dress that actually allowed its wearer to move and dance! A flapper wearing the “little black dress” could show her legs and run around with the guys all night long.
It’s no coincidence that women’s clothes became more oppressive in the 50s, with girdles and those horrible torpoedo bras. And to return to the subject of the 80s, notice how comfortable women’s clothes became then, with those off-the-shoulder sweatshirts and leg warmers.
I don’t know how historians will view the fashion of the Bush administration…I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out.